BROOKVILLE — Coming off of a decisive victory the night prior, the Clearfield Bison were still fighting cold temperatures yet still were set to hit the hardwood. The trip west on the interstate meant some non-league action on Saturday night, this time against the Brookville Raiders.
This one for both teams came down to execution, desire, and game basics. It was about finishing the game strong, and Clearfield has made it a habit of finishing strong, whether ahead, close, or battling from behind. They finished the game despite foul trouble, but executed shots when needed, to take a 62-56 win to push their record to 16-2 on the season.
In a game that featured lead changes and close battles, it would come down to miscues, and relying on the bench for both teams.
Early on, the feeling out process for each team was tough, both battling close through the first eight minutes of the game. Clearfield finished the opening quarter down 15-14 but was very much in the game. The second quarter saw just as close of a game between the two squads. The Bison managed to execute just a bit more through the stanza, and at the buzzer turned the one-point deficit into a 31-27 lead.
The second half also came down to execution, and Brookville continued to keep the pressure on. The issue with both squads in the second half was miscues, and who could take advantage of them at the right time.
In the third, the execution from Evett Maines was turned up high. Of the team’s 15 points, he accounted for 11 of them, part of his game-high 31 points. What also became evident is that some players were beginning to have to play hard, but smart, as foul trouble was becoming an issue for both sides. Combined, a total of 43 fouls were called between Clearfield and Brookville. In the fourth quarter alone, 19 infractions were called, with each squad getting an opportunity to head to the free throw line for a chance at free points.
This was where Brookville struggled to execute. For the game, the Raiders were only 8-for-16 at the line, with all but two of those shots coming in the fourth quarter. Six points were left on the table, which would have been enough to at minimum tie the game and force overtime.
The number of fouls in the fourth quarter were enough to see a pair of players from each squad forced to sit the remainder of the game. Clearfield would see both Tanner Kaskan and Noah Rumfola each hit five fouls. For Brookville, Declan Reitz and Josh Semeyn hit five fouls in the fourth quarter. Semeyn exited as the high scorer for the Raiders, finishing with 19 points. Isaac Burkett and Oliver Butcher hit double figures as well for Brookville, finishing with 14 and 11 points, respectively.
Clearfield saw Parker Collins also hit double figures with 14 points, but more importantly the team executed at their opportunities at the foul line. The Bison finished 16-for-20 at the line, including 12-for-16 in the fourth quarter.
The regular season is quickly winding down for Clearfield, as four games remain on the schedule, three of them being inside the Bison Gym. The next game for the Bison will be at home on Wednesday, February 4, as they face Huntingdon for the second time this season. The Bearcats fell to Clearfield, 69-45, back on December 8,
Junior varsity will tip at 6 p.m. and varsity will follow.
SCORE BY QUARTER
Clearfield 14 17 15 16 – 62
Brookville 15 12 14 15 – 56
Clearfield – 62
Parker Collins 5 3-4 14, Evett Maines 10 7-9 31, Braison Patrick 4 0-0 8, Elijah Glunt 1 6-7 8, Tanner Kaskan 0 0-0 0, Noah Rumfola 0 0-0 0, Easton Maines 1 0-0 2, JT Strishock 0 0-0 0. TOTALS 21 16-20 62.
Brookville – 56
Landen Marrara 2 0-0 4, Declan Reitz 0 0-0 0, Rees Taylor 0 0-0 0, Owen May 2 1-2 5, Oliver Butcher 4 2-3 11, Isaac Burkett 5 2-2 14, Joel Burton 1 0-0 3, Josh Semeyn 8 3-9 19. TOTALS 14 8-16 56.
Clearfield Bison Basketball Scoreboard
| DATE AND OPPONENT | SCORE | RECORD |
| 12/2 HOLLIDAYSBURG | PPD. | 0-0 |
| 12/4 HOLLIDAYSBURG | 71-59 | 1-0 |
| 12/8 at Huntingdon | 69-45 | 2-0 |
| 12/11 PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA | 76-30 | 3-0 |
| 12/15 at Penns Valley | 61-45 | 4-0 |
| 12/17 at Somerset (6:15 p.m.) | 71-39 | 5-0 |
| 12/19 CHESTNUT RIDGE | PPD. | 5-0 |
| 12/22 BELLWOOD-ANTIS | 64-60 | 6-0 |
| 12/29 at Curwensville (6 p.m.) | 56-31 | 7-0 |
| 12/30 CHESTNUT RIDGE | 87-40 | 8-0 |
| 1/5 at Bald Eagle Area | 69-43 | 9-0Â |
| 1/8 at West Branch | 81-42 | 10-0 |
| 1/12 at Central | 56-44 | 11-0 |
| 1/14 at Bellefonte | 73-52 | 12-0 |
| 1/16 at Forest Hills | 44-72 | 12-1 |
| 1/21 BISHOP GUILFOYLE | PPD. | 12-1 |
| 1/22 BISHOP GUILFOYLE | 53-48 | 13-1 |
| 1/23 TYRONE | 82-65 | 14-1 |
| 1/26 at Brookville (7:15 p.m.) | PPD. | 14-1 |
| 1/28 at Hollidaysburg | 53-55 | 14-2 |
| 1/30 CENTRAL CAMBRIA | 78-38 | 15-2 |
| 1/31 at Brookville | 62-56 | 16-2 |
| 2/4 HUNTINGDON | Â | Â |
| 2/5 at Philipsburg-Osceola | Â | Â |
| 2/9 PENNS VALLEY | Â | Â |
| 2/10 PUNXSUTAWNEY (7:15 p.m.) | Â | Â |
